Worries About Layoffs Flare Ahead Of East Orange School Board Meeting

EAST ORANGE, NJ — NOTE: Read our update to this article here.

Worries about potential school staff layoffs are swirling in East Orange ahead of a board of education meeting on Wednesday evening, which will include an update about “ongoing financial challenges” in the district.

A video has been circulating on social media this week, which claims that “Rice notices” have been sent to some staff members in the East Orange Public School District.

State law requires that Rice letters be sent to public employees if their employment is expected to be discussed at a government meeting, such as a school board meeting. The notices sometimes – but not always – precede layoffs.

The video shares a screenshot of an Oct. 11 email, which states that Rice notices have been sent to “certain staff members” in connection with Wednesday’s meeting.

“Who lays off teachers in October?” the video questions.

Patch reached out to administrators in the district, seeking comment about whether Rice notices were sent to staff members. We received the following reply:

“This evening, the superintendent of schools will provide the board of education and the community with an update on the budget for the 2024-25 school year. Following this presentation, several personnel recommendations will be made to tackle the ongoing financial challenges the district has encountered over the past three years.”

The Oct. 16 meeting of the East Orange Board of Education will take place at 6 p.m. in the East Orange School District’s Central Office Conference Room A, located at 199 4th Avenue.

TEACHER UNION REPS: ‘WE ARE ALL TIRED, WE ARE ALL FED UP’

Patch also reached out via email to the East Orange Education Association, which represents teachers in the district. We will update this article with any reply we receive.

The union’s president, Keith Hinton II, and chair of its action committee, Jewel Carter-McCummings, referenced Wednesday’s board meeting in a social media post about ongoing contract talks with the district.

They wrote:

“We are all tired… We are all fed up… We all want a fair and reasonable contract, but we must all come together collectively as one to have our voices heard!

“We all acknowledge that we are working under an expired contract. However, we are bound to the rules of the expired contract until we approve and ratify a new contract.

“All actions that are planned that haven't been sanctioned by the EOEA Action Committee chair and the president of the EOEA must cease and desist.

“Association activities cease to be protected by the NJEA and state law when it interferes with an employee's job performance and responsibilities.

“As per our contract, Article XXIX, there shall be no strikes and no lockouts.

“According to New Jersey state statutes: ‘When the government undertakes itself to meet a need, it necessarily decides the public interest required the service, and as employees cannot reverse or frustrate that decision by a concerted refusal to meet that need.’

“In essence, you can't perform an illegal strike, a mass call out is considered a strike! Under New Jersey State Ann. 2A:98-1, public employees have no right to coerce a public body into doing something by disabling it. A mass callout could be deemed as an attempt to disable the East Orange School District.

“Because a strike is illegal, an injunction can be sought by the mayor of East Orange. That injunction could result in arrests of all individuals involved. Those arrests could result in tenure charges. Tenure charges could result in a loss of your certifications and pensions. Is it worth it?

“We need to show up. Let’s present a united front and meet on the steps of the board of education tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024 at 5 p.m. In addition. plan to attend the last Superintendent Town Hall Meeting at Campus High School, 344 Prospect Street, on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. Wear your EOEA shirt. Dress in all black. Bring your signs. Wear your buttons. Bring your voices!”

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